---
title: "Free Game Server Hosting vs Paid: Real Limits and Costs"
url: https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-vs-paid-game-server-hosting/
lastmod: 2026-10-26
---

# Free Game Server Hosting vs Paid: Limits, Costs and Who Pays

How free game server hosts pay their bills, the limits that decide whether a free server works for your group, and what 24/7 really costs on your PC, a VPS or a paid host.

By [Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/)
Updated Oct 26, 2026 · 11 min read

Read in[es](https://1up-servers.com/es/blog/hosting-de-servidores-de-juegos-gratis-o-de-pago/)[en](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-vs-paid-game-server-hosting/)

**Your game server, free**Ready in 60 seconds, no card.[Create free server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/)

Free game server hosting works for a small group that plays a few evenings a week, as long as you accept its trade: ads, a queue, a stop when nobody plays, or tight RAM and slots. We are 1up, a host with a [free plan](https://1up-servers.com/en/free-minecraft-server-hosting/), so every competitor figure below links to that host's own page, checked 2026-10-06.

Our free plan runs [Terraria](https://1up-servers.com/en/terraria/), Minecraft and a few other games, and section 5 lists exactly which ones and where it falls short.

- **Free is never free to run.** Free hosts pay with ads, with an upsell to paid plans, or with both, and they ration memory with queues and stop timers.
- **The limits that matter:** RAM, player slots, when the server may run, backups, mods and the region. Check them before you invite anyone.
- **24/7 costs money everywhere.** Your own PC costs electricity, a VPS costs a few euros plus your time, a paid host costs a flat fee or a meter.
- **Rough monthly cost of one small server online all month:** about €10 to €21 of electricity on a home PC, from €3.81 ex. VAT for a 4 GB VPS, €14.40 on exaroton at 2 GB, €3 on 1up Casual.
- **Pick free** for a few friends, vanilla worlds and evening sessions. **Pick paid** when the world must stay online, you need mods or more than a handful of players.

## 1. How free hosts are funded

A game server holds the whole world in memory while it runs, so a free tier costs its host real hardware every minute. Each free host we checked says openly how it covers that.

- **Ads.** Aternos says it "is completely financed through advertisements", detects ad blockers and asks users to turn them off ([Aternos help](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360034748092-You-are-using-an-adblocker)). Falix says it relies "solely on advertisements to fund the cost of the free plan" and warns that not whitelisting it "will lead to an account suspension" ([Falix knowledge base](https://kb.falixnodes.net/falix/dashboard/setup/ad-blocker)). Minehut's [homepage](https://minehut.com/) mentions "the ads that keep free servers free".
- **Upsell.** Aternos points readers who want more RAM, more storage or no queue to exaroton, which it describes as built and run by the Aternos team ([Server RAM](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/12046003680157-Server-RAM), [Queue](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360026950812-Queue)). Minehut sells larger plans in credits ([server plans](https://minehut.com/server-plans)).
- **Rationing.** No free tier we checked stays online 24/7. Aternos says plainly: "we don't provide 24/7 hosting" ([24/7 Hosting](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/31771896948253-24-7-Hosting)). Servers stop when empty and, at busy times, wait in a queue to start.
- **1up** asks for no card to sign up for Free. Free servers still stop when empty and can queue at peak hours.

None of these models is wrong. They decide what you put up with: an ad blocker you must disable, a queue you must watch, or a nudge to pay.

## 2. The limits that matter

Six limits decide whether a free server works for your group. The table puts five hosts side by side, all from their own pages on 2026-10-06. Most free tiers are Minecraft-first, so that is where the comparison is fairest.

|  | Aternos | Minehut Starter | Falix Free | exaroton | 1up Free |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free, "no possibility to pay" | Free | €0 | €0.01 per credit, 1 credit per GB of RAM per hour | Free, no card |
| Games | Minecraft Java and Bedrock, Hytale | Minecraft, Java and Bedrock in one world | Minecraft, plus Hytale, Terraria and Factorio | Minecraft Java and Bedrock | Almost every game in our catalogue; those over 2 GB of RAM or 6 GB of disk run with the hourglass |
| RAM | Depends on software; 2,400 MB for Vanilla 1.20.1 | 1 GB | 2.5 GB shared, 1 CPU core | You choose 2 to 16 GB | 2 GB |
| Player slots | No slot limit advertised | 10 | Unlimited | Not stated | 4 |
| Storage | 4 GB | 10 GB | 10 GB NVMe | 10 GB per server | 6 GB |
| Backups | To your Google Drive | Not stated per plan | To your Google Drive | Through your connected cloud provider | None on Free |
| Mods | Mods, plugins, modpacks | Plugin uploads | Plugins, mods, modpacks | "500+ Modpacks" | Your own jars only, no one-click catalogue |
| When empty | Stops after a countdown | Sleeps, wakes on join | Stops 10 minutes after the last player leaves | AutoStop if you turn it on | Stops after 30 minutes with nobody online (less on heavier games) |
| Start queue | Yes, at full capacity | Not stated | "May queue briefly" | No queue, per Aternos | Possible at peak hours |
| Ads | Funded by ads | Funded by ads | Funded by ads | Ad-free per Aternos | No card needed to sign up |

Sources: [Aternos](https://aternos.org/), [Aternos storage](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360035144691-Maximum-allowed-server-size), [Aternos stop countdown](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360026950972-Stop-countdown), [Minehut plans](https://minehut.com/server-plans), [Falix free plan](https://falixnodes.net/free-minecraft-server-hosting), [exaroton pricing](https://support.exaroton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019687657-Pricing), [exaroton homepage](https://exaroton.com/). The 1up column comes from our live plans list.

What each row means for you:

1. **RAM.** It decides how big a world and how many mods the server survives. 2 GB carries a small vanilla Minecraft or Terraria world; modpacks need far more. Our [Minecraft RAM guide](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/how-much-ram-minecraft-server/) has the numbers.
2. **Player slots.** The hard ceiling on who can be online at once. A fifth friend cannot join a 4-slot server, whatever the RAM.
3. **When the server may run.** Free servers stop when empty, and some queue before they start. That is fine for planned sessions and frustrating for a world friends drop into at random.
4. **Backups.** If the host keeps none, the world is only as safe as your last download. Aternos itself writes: "It's your task to keep your world saved all the time" ([Keep your world safe](https://support.aternos.org/hc/en-us/articles/360026950912-Keep-your-world-safe)).
5. **Mods.** Free tiers range from full modpacks to plain vanilla. Check before you promise your group a modded world.
6. **Location and ping.** A server far from your group adds lag to every hit and block. Pick a host with servers near you; on 1up you see the estimated ping of London and Paris before you create the server. We did not compare locations here, because not every page we read states them.

For a longer Minecraft-only comparison, including the RAM boost and queue details, read our [Aternos alternatives guide](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/aternos-alternative-free-minecraft-hosts/).

**Shortcut: on 1up it takes three clicks**

Your free server in 60 seconds. No card.

[Create your free game server](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/)

## 3. Cost maths: your PC, a VPS or a paid host

"Free" usually means "free for a few evenings". The fair question is what it costs to keep one small server online for a whole month, 30 days or 720 hours. Here are the three routes, with the figures each source publishes.

### Your own PC

The server software itself often costs nothing: the [Minecraft Wiki](https://minecraft.wiki/w/Tutorial:Setting_up_a_Java_Edition_server) notes that Mojang distributes the default Java server "free of charge". What you pay is electricity, and the work of opening a port on your router. The same tutorial walks through port forwarding on 25565 and warns that a dynamic IP "can cause problems to the port forwarding rules".

The EU average household electricity price was €0.2896 per kWh in the second half of 2025, taxes included ([Eurostat](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Electricity_price_statistics)). The draw of your PC is the unknown: measure it with a plug meter. As an example only:

- A desktop drawing **100 W** around the clock uses 72 kWh a month: about **€20.85**.
- A small machine drawing **50 W** uses 36 kWh: about **€10.43**.

If the PC is on anyway, the extra cost is lower. If it is your gaming PC, the server competes with your game for memory, and the world closes whenever you restart Windows.

### A VPS

A rented virtual server gives you root access, a fixed IP and no electricity bill. You install the game server, secure it, update it and back it up yourself.

- **OVHcloud VPS-1:** 2 vCores, 4 GB of RAM, 40 GB NVMe, "from €3.81 ex. VAT/month" on the 12-month upfront offer ([OVHcloud VPS](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-ie/vps/)).
- **Hetzner CX23:** 2 vCPU, 4 GB, 40 GB, €5.49 a month ex. VAT since 15 June 2026 ([Hetzner price adjustment](https://docs.hetzner.com/general/infrastructure-and-availability/price-adjustment/)), plus €0.50 for a public IPv4 ([Hetzner IP pricing](https://docs.hetzner.com/general/infrastructure-and-availability/ipv4-pricing/)), so €5.99 ex. VAT.

A VPS is the cheapest way to get 4 GB online all month, if you are comfortable on a Linux command line.

### A paid host

You pay for the panel, backups, updates and someone else's pager. Two models exist:

- **Pay per use.** exaroton charges 1 credit, €0.01, per GB of RAM per hour ([Pricing](https://support.exaroton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019687657-Pricing)). A 2 GB server online all month uses 1,440 credits, **€14.40**; at 3 GB it is €21.60. Three 3-hour evenings a week at 2 GB come to about 72 credits, €0.72. The meter is great for irregular play and expensive for 24/7.
- **Flat monthly plan.** On 1up, **Casual** costs **€3** a month (VAT included where applicable) for a 2 GB server online 24/7, with 6 slots, 20 GB of disk and 1 backup. **Starter** costs €5 for 4 GB, 10 slots, 3 backups and one-click mods. Paid plans can be refunded on request within 3 days. Our [pricing page](https://1up-servers.com/en/pricing/) lists every plan.

| Route | 2–4 GB online all month | Your time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Home PC | About €10–21 of electricity (example draw) | Ports, updates, PC always on |
| VPS | From €3.81–5.99 ex. VAT for 4 GB | Linux, firewall, backups |
| exaroton | €14.40 at 2 GB, €21.60 at 3 GB | Low |
| 1up Casual / Starter | €3 at 2 GB, €5 at 4 GB | Low |

Prices checked 2026-10-06. VPS prices exclude VAT; Eurostat and 1up prices include it.

## 4. Who should pick which

- **Three or four friends, vanilla, a few evenings a week:** a free host is enough. Pick one whose games and slots fit your group, and download the world now and then.
- **A big modpack without paying:** Aternos or Falix, whose free tiers list modpacks. Expect ads and a queue.
- **Irregular sessions on a strong server:** pay per use, such as exaroton. You pay only for the hours you play.
- **A world that must stay online while you sleep:** a paid plan or a VPS. Free tiers stop when empty by design.
- **You like tinkering and know Linux:** a VPS gives the most RAM per euro, at the cost of your evenings.
- **You want a private server for friends that just works:** a flat paid host, or a free one with a whitelist if the limits fit.

Many people searching for "free game servers" or a "private server free" really want this last case. Free hosting delivers it for small groups; it stops delivering once the group or the world grows.

## 5. 1up's own limits, stated plainly

We asked you to trust our table, so here is where our free plan is weaker.

**Heavy games cost Free time.** Since 2026-10-18 the Free plan can create a server of almost any game in our catalogue. [Minecraft: Java Edition](https://1up-servers.com/en/minecraft-java-edition/), [Minecraft: Bedrock Edition](https://1up-servers.com/en/minecraft-bedrock-edition/), Terraria, [Necesse](https://1up-servers.com/en/necesse/), [Don't Starve Together](https://1up-servers.com/en/dont-starve-together/), [Factorio](https://1up-servers.com/en/factorio/), [Unturned](https://1up-servers.com/en/unturned/) and Valheim fit in Free's 2 GB of RAM and 6 GB of disk. A game that needs more runs with the hourglass: your free time drains faster by a multiplier the wizard shows before you create the server, for example ×1.5 for [Core Keeper servers](https://1up-servers.com/en/core-keeper/), ×3.5 for [Palworld servers](https://1up-servers.com/en/palworld/) and [Satisfactory servers](https://1up-servers.com/en/satisfactory/), and ×4 for Rust. ARK: Survival Ascended needs more than Free can give and stays on paid plans.

| 1up Free | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| 1 server, 2 GB of RAM | Fine for a small vanilla world, not for modpacks |
| 4 player slots | A fifth friend cannot join |
| 6 GB of disk | Enough for a normal survival world; heavier games run with the hourglass |
| 3 hours a day, 30 a month | Server time for evening sessions; heavier games use it faster |
| No backups | Download your world from the panel yourself |
| No one-click mods | Minecraft accepts your own jars through Files; the catalogue starts on Starter |
| Stops when empty | After 30 minutes with nobody online (less on heavier games) |
| Start queue at peak hours | Usually a few minutes; paid plans skip it |
| London and Paris only | Best for players in Europe |

**Casual is our cheapest always-on option.** For €3 a month it keeps a 2 GB server online 24/7, skips the queue, raises the slots to 6 and keeps 1 backup. It does not add mods; those start on Starter. Casual runs every game that fits in 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk, Valheim and [Garry's Mod servers](https://1up-servers.com/en/garrys-mod/) included.

If you started on Free, you upgrade the plan from the panel and keep the same server and world.

For game-by-game walkthroughs, read our guides to a [free Terraria server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/free-terraria-server/) and to [making a free Minecraft server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/how-to-make-a-free-minecraft-server/). Our guides to a [Gmod dedicated server](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/gmod-dedicated-server/) and to [Minecraft server commands](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/minecraft-server-commands/) cover the next steps.

**Shortcut: on 1up it takes three clicks**

Your free server in 60 seconds. No card.

[Start your free server on 1up](https://1up-servers.com/en/signup/)

Tested on 1up production v0.258.0 (Free and Casual plans) and the competitors' own pages, 2026-10-06. We ran no benchmarks; hardware claims are quoted from each host.

NOT AN OFFICIAL MINECRAFT SERVICE. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG OR MICROSOFT.

**Change log**

- 2026-10-26: Starter is €5 for 4 GB; Free's 3 hours a day and 30 a month added to the Free table; 3-day refund.
- 2026-10-20: Free can now run almost every game with the hourglass; Casual at €3; Free disk 6 GB; the idle stop is 30 minutes; no claim about ads.
- 2026-10-06: first version; every competitor and price figure checked on its own page.

## Frequently asked questions

For you, yes: the free tiers we checked charge nothing. The host pays for the hardware with ads, with paid plans, or both, and limits free servers with stop timers, queues, RAM and slots.

About the author[Baurtock](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/author/baurtock/)Founder, developer and support

## Keep reading

[General guides · 11 min**Best Co-op Survival Games to Host This Winter (2026)**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/best-co-op-survival-games-to-host/)[Space Engineers · 7 min**Space Engineers Dedicated Server: Setup, Worlds, Admins and RAM**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/space-engineers-dedicated-server/)[Icarus · 7 min**Icarus Dedicated Server: Setup, Olympus, Admin Commands and RAM**](https://1up-servers.com/en/blog/icarus-dedicated-server/)